The Power of Quiet

The world is a noisy place. The TV blares with discordant views and hyperbole from commentators, politicians, "reality" shows, infomercials. Everyone is trying to get our attention by turning up the volume of their speech. I find myself yearning for some quiet. I think it is time for a quiet movement.
If only we could put a govenor on everyone's speech. You know like a govenor on a car that can cap the speed its going. All the views, opinions, pontificating, explaining, arguing,nitpicking, pointing fingers would be limited in their decibel range and exaggeration scale. Everyone would be forced into a quiet zone.

This is an old teacher trick. When the classroom gets too chaotic and no one is paying attention, a teacher has a choice. He/she can throw their voice into the cachophony, or they can turn their back, get very silent while writing on the board or otherwise occupied. If the teacher screams and yells he becomes a part of the chaos. If he chooses the quiet option, he/she raises above the bedlam. Soon the students become intriqued that the teacher is doing something different. Soon they realize that noone is paying attention to them. One by one they still and alert waiting for the teacher to clue them in. It really works.

So I would like to see more of us try the quiet option. It doesn't mean silence but a lessening of the noise. You don't think it will work? It doesn't mean we won't use persistence, but we won't be screamers. And if we turn our back on the hysterical yellers, they may stop without an audience. I'm a bit tired of reading about town meetings that have been hijacked by a vocal few with a singular agenda. What would take place if the audiences and politicians spoke back quietly and persistently that they would not respond to yelling or screaming? If this kind of quiet reaction is repeated over and over perhaps the verbal bullying would stop.

So think quietly about the possibilities of a, shhhh, quiet world. Take deep breaths and enjoy the tranquility. We could start a "quiet" revolution.

I'm ranting, but with my muting governor on.

Qualities of Life

Among the background noise of my Sunday TV I hard someone talking about what qualities make a great president. Courage, integrity, and patience. Isn't that what we wish for our children to learn and develop? Isn't that what we need to exhibit in our daily lives? Certainly not easy always, but we can do it. By example we can lead our children - be leaders for our children.

I can get pretty preachy on this blog. You probably get very tired of my ranting. But I have a need to speak my mind. I take the risk that you won't agree with me, but my hope is that you will think. You will think about the world around us even if it can be a frightening and frustrating place. You will think about the legacy we leave for future generations. You will think about how to do your best and encourage others to do theirs. You will think about how your actions will impact others. Hey, pretty heavy stuff, isn't it?

I envision my life, my words, my dreams, my best as the pebble dropped into the pond with ripples spreading wide. Never knowing what effect I have but hopeful that at least one person feels better, does better and passes it on. I believe in the power of one. When I think back on my life, there are people who inspired me - a teacher, a mentor, a sibling, a parent, a child, a friend. As a gathering they've made me a better person - more caring, more daring, more compassionate, more sympathetic - often in small ways, but I still practice and try to improve every day by remembering their words and actions.

Hero? No. At most I hope that I've encouraged my children and grandchildren to lead good lives. Maybe a friend is happier for knowing me. Maybe a customer smiles when seeing what I create. Maybe the good and happiness spread in the pond of humanity. A ripple of smiles and caring.

To the NRA

The discussion is about gun control, not gun abolition. Can you talk about that?

Old Fart

I follow a blog by an artist in Pennsylvania, Judy Grupp. She has experienced the same frustration as I with uploading pics.She has solved the problem but is not happy about it, and her daughter has accused her of being an "old fart" because ahe complains. The solution involves using Google Chrome. Most of us writers/bloggers use microsoft programs. Now, it seems that microsoft and google have decided not to talk to each other. It is bad enough when children argue, threaten and "take their marbles and go home," but I must shake my head when billion dollar corporations have tantrums.

When I get a spare hour or 2, I will learn how to use google chrome, but like Judy I will be mumbling and whining. Please, spare me any more changes because you, google, can't/won't talk to microsoft. Or at the least, give me warning. I have lots of pictures sitting in my windows files.

It is difficult to blossom when surrounded by nettles.

Quote of the Day

 

Remember the quiet wonders. The world has more need of them than it has for warriors.

Charles de Lint

 





Shame on You!

Shame on the NRA for their stupid statement. Putting guns in the hands of more people is not the answer. We are not living on a movie set where the good people can shoot the bad people without more lose of innocent bystanders. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I'm pretty sure this is not.

Peace and understanding!

Stepping Along

After a moment of absolute panic last night ("There is not enough time to finish all that I must!"), I am settled in humming along and putting some finishing touches on gifts. There is still so much to do including my least favorite task - cleaning. Where are those elves who come in the middle of the night to get my house in order? Oh, right, only in my dreams.

(We need those elves in Washington. In the face of the tragedy in Newtown where adults and kids lost their lives while going about doing what they were suppose to do, it seems so trivial and immature that our "leaders" can't do their jobs. It's a strech to connect previous part of blog with this observation, but I can't help myself. Raise taxes and decrease spending. We know it is coming.)

Today is wrapping, baking, ironing and (yecch) a bit of cleaning. I wish everyone a productive and fulfilling day.

Like Lemmings to the Cliff

Yes, that fiscal cliff that everyone is talking about. My question for all  - if we fall off the cliff, doesn't that raise taxes on almost everyone? Doesn't that break the "no higher taxes" pledge that the Republicans agreed to? Can inaction be embraced as "not our fault?"

Just asking. Staying tuned for the rest of the story.

PS. Lemmings go over the cliff as a natural form of population control. Too many lemmings, not enough food;  run to the cliffs.
      Political parties - too much power, not enough common sense. Let's run for the cliff. Maybe it's time to winnow the power brokers in the parties. Too much posturing, too many senseless words; time for common sense, doing the job they were elected to do, caring more for the country than the party.

Just saying.

(Every time I try to finish this post, I hear something else.) Bob Schieffer on Meet the Press this am.
"What hypocrisy, what fakery!" Well said.

Question????

As I sew my TV is almost always on. I suffered through the political season with its spate of negative ads. Hallelujah, that is all done. Now here come the shopping ads. Every store, brick and mortar or online, are making deals - vying for the lowest prices. Many are hawking goods made in the orient where there is cheap labor and little pride in workmanship. (I know this is very broad and there are exceptions.) All this is in the name of promoting the acquisition of the easily disposable, not very interesting, the mass produced, the low quality,  rather than discerning ownership of the special, unique, durable items which are treasured year after year.  The message is shop more, not wisely.

This rant leads me to the question of today. Is there a market for handmade goods in today's world? Can an artist or artisan make a living creating his/her vision?

NO.......

In my travels today, I saw a sight I don't believe. More than one house in my area is busy putting up their outside decorations. Forgive me for saying, but isn't Thanksgiving still to come? It is not time yet for Christmas! We are not retailers who must put out holiday merchandise, so please wait until after the turkey and stuffing to decorate.

Are we following the suit of Target et al who are starting Black Friday on Thursday? Are we teaching the youngsters by example that good things aren't worth waiting for. Gotta have it now!! Bigger and better!! It is enough to make the Grinch want to steal Christmas all over again.

In my old grump way I think these jumpers are sucking out the fun and joy of the season. Maybe I'm painting the hyperbole with neon colors, but I'm distressed.

I love the Christmas holidays. Eagerly I await the blossoming of the outside fairy lights which start appearing the Saturday after Thanksgiving on a few houses and continue to grow until almost all yards wear their sparkly finery by 2 weekends before  Christmas Eve. After dark the various homes light my way home from grocery and gift shopping. They make me smile. They fill me with anticipation for family coming together, holiday baking, and tree trimming.

BUT I want my holidays one at a time. First comes Thanksgiving, then comes Christmas. To witness the pushing of them together saddens me. Are they trying to take away the specialness of each? What does Christmas mean to them? I think these people who are rushing forward need to pause, take some deep breaths and slow down. How can you enjoy the scenery along the way when you are moving at the speed of light?

Come on, people, don't race through your year. Meander and smell the pines.

Knee Rehab: Ups and Downs

The road to recovery is not smooth. Infection has reared its ugly head which slows the rehab process. We are hopeful that with the introduction of antibiotics this stumble will be short.

This medical problem has emphasized a bigger and more endemic problem - communication. As in the famous quote from "Cool Hand Luke." What we have here is a failure to communicate. Husband has a prodigious capacity to endure pain. The nursing staff didn't take this in to consideration and ignored his statements of increased discomfort. Plus he doesn't register fever as the "normal" person does. So those two facts together created a situation that was more complex than necessary.

I can't fault the overworked staff too much. They don't know each patient as an individual. To them he is a knee replacement. They are not encouraged to take the time even if they want to. Time is money for the corporation that runs the show. Frequently the personel give the quick, convenient response just to get out of the room. So complaints are ignored. As aides, nurses, therapists and doctors are urged to see more patients in less time, sometimes good care gets compromised. I think that this is one of the primary problems with a big business approach to medical services _ good communication between all the parties involved from patient with family to all staff.

Is there a solution to the problem of communication? There should be a patient advocate who is part of the admittance process. Someone who's job is to take the time to learn patient and family - the  history and dynamics; expectations and experiences. Then they can advise those who are involved in patient care what they are dealing with. Is this a negative, complaining person? Or a docile patient? Does this family need a constant stream of what's going on? Or are they content with little interaction?

Seems like someone is missing a huge business opportunity. If this is the way medicine is "advancing," someone should create a questionaire for a social worker or patient advocate to administer on admittance. This professional must then be able to interpret and condense the information gathered into a form that the medical staff can read and use when interacting with the patient. Information delivered in clear, concise language so as to be actually useful. Someone smarter than I could write a good program for this. Wouldn't this lead to more efficient care? A better experience for patient and staff? Even better care which leads to shorter, less expensive medicine.

Okay, packing up my soap box for the day. I feel better for getting it off my chest. Thanks for listening.

Civility

Morning TV and social media are abuzz with the incident of bullying a bus monitor. Everyone is quick to blame others - the parents, the bus driver and the kids. Calls for send in the police, show the bullies' faces, suspend them from school are all over our screens.

Wait a minute. Yes, the incidence is deplorable but hardly suprising. Yes there should be punishments. BUT how about community service for retirement homes or senior citizens? Hard physical labor like yard work. Or making beds. Or filling water pitchers. Let's be inventive. No excuses. Schedule it, do it, interact with seniors. Learn that they are people. And like all people deserve respect.

How about the old-fashioned penalty of having to write multiple times "I must respect my elders." Maybe 5000 times. Will it stop all incidences of disrespect? No, but maybe it will make them think before doing it again. It also shows unruly kids that society doesn't accept such behavior.

Now, about the hosts on TV. You decry such behavior on this bus by these kids, while on the other hand you hype shows that highlight bad behavior, meaness, outbursts of anger and shouting. Reality TV is largely the land of rudeness. Shame on all you TV executives, producers and hosts. You are part of the problem, as much to blame as the parents, teachers, adults who condone random acts of anger. Lets quit pointing fingers and work at showing our kids and grandkids how to handle anger, be respectful of others, listen to authority, and don't blame others for our problems. Remember kids learn by example.

That's my rantfor today. Can we bring back civility? I'm convinced if we ALL work together, show respect for others, accept people's differences and stop rewarding bad behavior, we can bring back new respect for social civility. Turn off the reality shows. Carry it one step more, turn off those talk shows that discuss reality shows or invite cast members to sit on their couches. Show it is not acceptable to reward such antics. Yes, I'm talking to you "Today Show" and "The View," previously two mainstays of my morning routine.

In your travels this weekend practice civility.

Kind Hearted

The clock never gets turned back. The good old times can not be reproduced. But what we learned can be remembered and reused. The death of a family friend reminds me that the 50's were a gentler time. Social rules were easier to interpret. Above all else be gracious and kind. Treat others - equals, superiors, and servers - with grace, respect and kindness. Ranting and shouting is crude and rude. It is not a good debate tactic. Where did we lose our social rules? When did it become acceptable to scream and interupt? I feel so out of step. An alien in a new world. What do the rest of you think?

Winners and Losers

Juxtaposition this morning on CNN. First story is about the hospitalization of Nelson Mandela and a brief review of all he has done for his country and the  world. He comes as a true leader with a philosophy of peace and respect for humankind. What a monumental task he has accomplished by ending apartheid and creating a nation of potential in diversity and on the strength of differences and samenesses. Wow!

Second story about the Republican primaries and the belittling tone the candidates are taking with each other and the current administrations. (What a contrast to Mandela.) And they say it is necessary to draw their differences.Mean, nasty little boys and girls. Where is the quality of leadership? Certainly not in this crop of politicians and their advisors. So sad.

Question of the Day

Why is it so hard to get people to share the work load? Lots of them say, "What a good idea." Some come to find out what it is all about. Few come to the follow up meeting where tasks are discussed. Few respond to follow up email discussion. For want of some worker bees, a good idea might die. Maybe it isn't such a good idea?

Things I'm Tired Of

I haven't had a good whine in a long time, but here goes. I'm very tired of a few things that pop up in my life. ie the endless pop up on my computer. I don't mean the ones I can block, but the ones that keep appearing because internet explorer, aol, webroot have decided I really need these. Even though I delete as quickly as possible, apparently they can't take the hint. No I don't want you to save my passwords. No, I don't need the update that you performed yesterday anyway, so why are you asking again. You are my homepage, so what's the deal with asking me if I want to make you my home page? People smarter than I am, more computer savvy than I am, tell me computers know all about me - what I like, where I am, what I want to buy - so why can't it figure out I DON'T NEED OR WANT THESE POP UPS?

I'm tired of polls. If a politician hiccups, someone takes a poll about its possible effect on the upcoming primary or caucus. Give me a break. Aren't there more important issues? I hear all about the negative ads and family values. Tons of words spew forth from the talking heads about how the campaigns are run. But I'm still fuzzy about substantive issues like jobs programs, defense, froeign policy, environment and social programs. Spend more time with those subjects. When Perry forgot the name of a department he wanted to eliminate, it was fodder for comics and news people, but few bothered with why or how he proposed such a drastic measure. Report the hows and whys in depth the same way adultery is handled. Not as salacious? Well, you are reporters. Make it interesting. Make it news when a politician is exaggerating or bending the facts. Isn't that your job? I'm interested in a candidates political past, not so much his personal history. Make them accountable for the statistics they toss around. Let's go beyond the news bite.

I'm tired of prescription drug commercials. Notice when they speak of the side effects, the visual you see is warm and fuzzy - families cavorting, men and women in vigorous healthy activities, beach walking with a dog. What if they were required to run some pictures of the actual physical effects as they talked about them - elders falling over as dizzyness takes hold, a driver of a bulldozer plowing through a wall when his judgement is compromised, men and women doubled over with stomach cramps? You get my drift. Lets have the pictures mirror the words.

So that's my whine for the day. Sometimes I just have to get it off my chest. I feel better now. Tomorrow some pics of new dresses and skirts, including a new softer mix of colors and old-fashioned prints. I'm excited by them. Here's a peek from my cutting table..

Love Notes on a Sunday

Here are a few odds and ends from my desk.

"Make it and love it." I don't remember who wrote this but it was advice to handcrafters on how to be successful. Part of the endless conversations on how to make a creative business flourish. Usually our creations are not based on pop trends or hot products of the moment, although we all hope that our work can become super desired; and when we try to produce something just because we think it can sell, it doesn't succeed because it doesn't come from our passion and hence it is a bit flat or derivitive. So it is a must for the crafter who wants to be around for a long while to put love into their work. It shows in their originality and their evolution as a artist.

"It's your life, live it well." Sage advice from Judge Judy. A wise motto to take us through 2012 and beyond. She's not referring to living wealthy with huge houses, flashy cars, Rolexes, and gigantic TVs, but with a wealth of compassion, caring, and commitment to ourselves and our community. Would that our politicians, ministers, lawyers, police, bankers, etc follow this wise advice. We can all be leaders by example as we live our own lives as well as we can.

Maybe I should have titled this "preachy Sunday." Is it a contradiction that I write loudly and often about living my own life not someone else's? Am I being as hypocritical as those I'm scolding?

Grown-up Thoughts

As a parent, grandparent and senior citizen, my thoughts sometimes turn to the legacy my generation is leaving to the future. I fear we are leaving a mess - too much emphasis on money, too much celebration of mean spirits, a too easy acceptance that the end justifies the means, too many of us telling others how to live their lives while not taking care of our own,  too much empahsis on testing our students and not enough on the value of learning and education. All heavy topics which I ponder on my morning walks.

I can't change the world. After all who would listen? But I am trying to live a better life by example. Keep striving to be a thoughtful person. Listening and learning from the people in my life. Not jumping to quick judgement. Enjoying what I have. Valuing the relationships I am blessed with. (And not worrying over ending a sentence with a preposition!)

I choose peace and love.

Returning to Normal

Who are we kidding? Where is Normal? Did I ever visit it? How do I get back to it?

Aah, Normal. A quaint town with quiet tree-lined streets full of smiling people waving hello, shouting kids riding their bikes with wild abandon and busy unique shops where everyone is treated as a friend.

Aah, Normal. A bustling city where everyone is racing in all directions, cars are honking and weaving through congestion, kids are crying from exhaustion and confusion and all the stores, banks and polticians are conniving to wring out our last cent.

Take your pick.

Peace and prosperity!!!

Cleaning Up

Do you all hate cleaning as much as I do? But I really don't like living in filth. And there is a point at which I can get clutter overload. When I don't have a single space that I frequent, like my sewing room, the kitchen or my bedroom, that doesn't have an uncluttered surface, then I reach clutter overload. After the frenetic pace of getting ready for shows, I've officially reached my limit. Today I'm kicking the dust bunnies to the curb. Rehanging all the fabrics. Catching up on ironing.

Tomorrow the window cleaners are coming. I look forward to being able to see outside again, but I'm fearful how much more dirt I'll be able to see inside. That's the good news, bad news of the day.

Peace and prosperity.